A wide variety of industries utilize generator sets, also referred to as “gensets,” to provide power to a load at an industrial site. The load may include any systems, machines, and/or devices at the industrial site which desire or require electrical power. A genset, generally, may include a generator and a prime mover, such as an engine. As the engine of the genset operates, the mechanical rotation of said engine may drive the generator, thus producing electrical power. Gensets are often configured such that, when running at a given power level, the engine of the genset will drive the generator with a substantially consistent torque and speed, thereby producing electrical power output having substantially consistent characteristics, such as, but not limited to, frequency and voltage.
In some genset applications, the level of power desired or demanded by the load is greater than the level of power that a single, available genset is capable of providing to the load. Accordingly, in such situations, multiple gensets may be connected, in parallel, to meet the power demands of the load. When operating a plurality of gensets to power a load, preferably, the power demand would remain relatively constant and, therefore, all available gensets would be continuously functional, producing electrical power at optimum efficiency. However, in practice, power demands for a load may fluctuate as sub-loads of the load are activated and deactivated, therefore, requiring the number of gensets online or offline to vary, at any given time. Similarly, in certain industrial applications, different working conditions and/or operations at the industrial site may alter the desired power input for the load, thusly requiring addition or removal of gensets from active power generation. Accordingly, control systems for multiple gensets are utilized to regulate power output to the load from the multiple gensets.
In some prior control systems for power generators, such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0312885 (“Management System for Drilling Rig Power Supply and Storage System”), a power generation controller may monitor a load and store and/or provide supplemental power, based on recommended power settings. However, such prior art power systems may be susceptible to inefficiencies or even failure, if such supplemental power is not sufficient or if it is beyond the receivable capacity of the load. In certain industries, inadequate or inaccurate power provided to the load may cause disruptions in industrial operations and even equipment damage.
Therefore, to efficiently control power input to a load from multiple gensets, genset control systems and methods, which utilize industry and/or operation customized operation modes, are desired.